Neighbourhood in Kanazawa
Higashi Chaya
ひがし茶屋街
Kanazawa's best-preserved teahouse district, with lattice-fronted wooden houses from the Edo period across the Asano River from the centre.
- places to see
- 2
- Ishikawa
- Kanazawa
Photo: Andrea Schaffer from Sydney, Australia (opens in a new tab), CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), from Wikimedia Commons
Higashi Chaya is one of Kanazawa's main sights: a small grid of two-storey wooden teahouses, opened as an entertainment quarter in 1820 on the east bank of the Asano River. It is a nationally protected district, and about two thirds of its 140 buildings are traditional. The Shima teahouse is open to visitors.
Kanazawa produces almost all of Japan's high-quality gold leaf, and shops here sell it on everything from chopsticks to ice cream. Kenroku-en and Kanazawa Castle are about 20 minutes on foot. More of the city is in our Kanazawa guide.
Don't miss in Higashi Chaya
Start with these, then wander the side streets.
1. Kanazawa Yasue Gold Leaf Museum
金沢市立安江金箔工芸館Small city museum on Kanazawa's gold leaf craft, with tools, gilded screens and how the leaf is beaten.
Photo: 金沢市 (opens in a new tab), CC BY 2.1 JP (opens in a new tab), from Wikimedia Commons
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
2. Utasu Shrine
宇多須神社Neighbourhood shrine at the back of the teahouse streets, quiet even when the main lane is busy.
Photo: Qian2007 (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), from Wikimedia Commons
Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Higashi Chaya on the map
Every place on this page. Tap a pin for directions.
Questions
How long do I need at Higashi Chaya?
An hour or two to walk the lanes, visit a teahouse and stop for tea. Combine it with Kazue-machi across the river.
Is there a gold leaf ice cream?
Yes, several shops sell soft-serve covered in a sheet of gold leaf. It is a popular photo but does not change the taste.
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.